I'm A Rider (And So Are You)
by Virgo with Cheer
Summary: A Rider is one who stands up for the helpless. One who dons a mask and faces injustice head on. Fuck that. I'm gonna be fucking things in the background like Sagara could only imagine!
1. Chapter 1: I'm A Kamen Rider (1)

**_Rider._**

 **A word that means so little, and so much.**

 **To the common person, it's just a word used to describe a person on a bike or machine.**

 **To certain people, it brings to mind a magical class of Hero's long since past.**

 **To even more however?**

 **The word is equal to justice itself.**

 **For what is a Rider but someone who arrives when needed? One who reaches for the impossible dream?**

 **One who-**

"Oi! Forshaw! Stop texting and get back to work!" Came a harsh voice from behind me, bringing both my back and fingers into a scramble at the sudden call-out.

I shot a quick blank look behind me for a moment while I stowed my semi-cheap touch phone away, and resumed my stacking of shelves.

It wasn't hard work, but it was hard to NOT think about other things while doing it.

Right, how rude of me. I haven't even introduced myself, nameless voice in my head this week.

My name is Aidan Forshaw, and I don't belong in this world.

Or, rather I do, but SHOULDN'T, for all that clarifies.

Y'see, I'm a normal guy. Did my day-to-days, ate good food, read good works, and even tried writing a few things hear and there that weren't total shit.

There was also the mild meanderings of a mad mind drawing and colliding fandoms and ideas at most hours of the day, but that's kind of implied with the internet these days.

Anyhoo, a hop skip and a Fuck you from a ROB later (Who looked startlingly like Will Arnett.) I woke up with naught but the cloths on my back, a set of ID for my new world in my wallet, and a brain chock full of more knowledge than before. That was fun.

So yeah. Obviously there was some freaking out for a while, before quickly fleeing my origin point to try and see where the friggity-fuck I was now.

And wouldn't you know it, I was in 'Drowning in Grim' Brockton Bay. And given some of the reports I was checking out online after said revelation (Cause WI-Fi is still a thing and newspapers cost money I COULD NOT waste) not even one of the fun or light-hearted ones. Fucking Multiversal constant levels.

Now, being dropped in a death world is sucky, but not really enough of one that it presses the immediate issues. Namely, shelter, food, and MONEY (The biggest want and need).

Luckily, as a not even twenty year old with a pretty upbeat looking attitude and solid frame, there aren't a lot of people judging you when you show up at a hotel room for a week or three, get a minimum wage job at a nearby grocery store, and take RUTHLESS advantage of the free fruit and/or special treats in the break room occasionally.

Yeah, you're jumping in on me about two and a half months in. In fairness, you've missed nothing, cause I've done nothing.

Having power DOES NOT mean jumping into combat as soon as possible after all. Well, no, having powers NOT INFLUENCED BY SHARD SHENANIGANS means not jumping into combat immediately.

Yeah, establishing basic shit comes first. On that note, PHO is actually so widely used it acts better than legit news broadcasts here, AND can be wildly entertaining. It's a nice change of pace.

Though I DID change my username with my new world, cause...yeah, Evil outright ain't doing too good to call yourself in Dragonville.

Holy shit this internal monologue to no-one shite gets long-winded and bendy, no wonder no-one remembers these. What was I saying...

RIGHT! Consolidation! That good shit.

So, that knowledge I was given? It was some serious shit.

I know how to make Drivers.

ALL if them.

From Ichigo to ZIO. And the majority of them weren't even the worst things in the world to make.

As an example, to build a KivatDriver, I would literally have to raise a generation of bats off of nothing but a diet of my own blood, various metals, and 'offering' before having them breed, with the offspring somehow being a Kivat. Yeah.

Since that wasn't happening anytime soon, being such a time and money sink, I decided to...invest in other things.

Specifically...

I gave a sharp grin as I saw that my co-worker had left, taking my phone back out and switching tabs, eager to see what had begun.

[SPOILER="Game: Starto"]

[/SPOILER]

"Yeah. This'll be a fun stage." I snicker to myself for a moment, before putting the phone away again and start setting up the cans on the shelf, this time with a little grin and gleam in my eye.

Hey, nobody ever said I had to do anything directly after all.

CHAPTER END

 ** _So now you know what I've been brainstorming. There's a lot of shit coming out from me in the next bit, and I am SUPER pumped. I think you all will be to._**

 ** _Also, if anyone would be able to help me set up some PHO chapter a little later on, PM me. It would help me WORLDS._**

 ** _Until then, enjoy all! With more soon! Yahaha!_**


	2. Chapter 2: I'm a Kamen Rider (2)

New

So, the first thing I did with my knowledge was create the Bugster Virus.

To those who aren't super certain what that is, let me simplify it for you.

To put it bluntly, it's what happens when you infect regular germs and microbes with data, or in this case, pure video game code, with the end goal of literally making yourself and or all organic life around you into a video character/s.

Now, this might sound like a great idea, but it doesn't really take into account the little facts, like that the human body DOESN'T usually like being converted to what's basically a new species, or the fact that reality doesn't always mesh with what you can do with a game.

In comes the Gashat/to depending on how thick your Engrish is. A convenient carrying case holding near endlessly multiplying levels of specified virus samples, growing both the host and original virus's strength with each use and resonance. They also have the handy effect of deploying the 'game field' where there's MUCH less worry about stress levels from exposed virus in open areas. Almost like hazmat tents that also let you punch physics in the face.

Obviously, I got some of that as soon as I could. Which...was not great..

 _Flashback:_

 _"Alright. No going back after this." I said as I stared down at the black fusion of plastic and metal in my hand, gulping at the weight in my hand._ Spoiler: Our Beginning Line-up _  
Yeah, the thing they never really show on TV or on the toys? The little Gashat's button is also a super tiny needle. It pierces the finger pushing it and 'activates' when exposed to blood contaminated with Gamer Virus antibodies, creating a large burst of power to deploy the field, then the armor under the lessened constrictions. Woo._

 _I took another few breaths, before harshly exhaling._

 _"There's no point in playing an unwinnable game. This isn't even the worst thing that can be done. This is NOT a Faiz situation." You repeated to yourself._

 _But still you hesitated on the trigger. To pull it meant that things had to change. There was no going back._

 _I looked out at the window for a moment. I saw tall building shittily marked with graffiti and age. I saw people walk around with darting eyes and scowling faces. I saw at least three homeless men, only one of whom I had talked with._

 _I looked back down to my hand, mow white against the Gashat._

 _"Yeah. Let's change up this shitty game."_

 _And I pressed down on the trigger._

 ** _"GASHAT-TO!"  
_** _  
"AAAAAATTHHGEGHUIAJAKAKAK!"  
_  
END OF FLASHBACK

Yeah. The pain was like nothing ever felt before, simultaneously tearing me apart while building me back, brick by brick. I tore the sheets I was using to stifle my screams, and even had some flashes of light that were pretty hard to explain in the aftermath.

But I had done it. as far as the world was concerned, I was the Alpha carrier of the Bugster Virus.

And I was more than willing to play some games. Among other things.

After all, what do you call someone who doesn't really exist... Spoiler: Me and Myself **_  
But a Para-Dx (Paradox)_**


	3. Chapter 3: Spreading (1)

The best part about living in a city where no-one gives a shit, no one gives a shit. It would be unnerving and depressing if I actually went to any of the places I visited, but I didn't, and all the better for me.

Seriously, all it took for me to infiltrate the various schools (barring Arcadia) was going into the faculty office with a bagged lunch, tell them I was the older brother of Nathan/Sarah/or Jeff, and whoop bam doodle I had a visitors badge. Didn't even have to give a last name either, cause you could SEE the lack of shits in their eyes. But hey, waste not want not as they say.

In their defense though, it's not like I was doing anything immediately wrong or worse than what was already happening in their schools. Just a few skims of the library computers with my blurring fingertips, a nice drag of the lockers as I walked past them, and a good showing of sitting down at every table in the cafeteria. During class of course, while the lunch ladies went for their smoke break (Or whatever they were doing. I didn't judge).

For my last target however, I couldn't exactly waltz in their, what with the actually checking of names, clearances, and such. It wasn't nearly insurmountable, solved by the simple action of being within three feet of a teenagers cell-phone for more than a minute. Thank you grocery store clerk access.

That was also part of the reason I got said job in the first place, outside of necessity. Isn't it nice when work and play can be one and the same.

But, in any regard, the pieces were set now. With my body being in constant access to flows of people around me, as well as sitting and spreading at a fair pace in populated, all that was left to do was select my actors, and wait for the show to start.

And to those not understanding why I'm doing such things, allow me to write down my sinister plan so some group of do-gooders or slightly nosey Thinkers can find it with semi-limited trouble.

The Bugster, or rather, Gamer Virus when introduced to humans, is simultaneously the best and worst disease in the history of forever. It's good because it can lay dormant for any amount of time, completely unchanged from the day it's contracted. It's also good because the virus eliminates other virus' and bugs in the hosts body, resulting in a lack of competition for the eventual Bugster.

Its bad due to the fact that when it activates, there's no stopping it outside of literally ripping it from the host's DNA strands, while in its 'Pixel' Form. If this isn't preformed, the Virus breaks down the original host and subsumes them entirely, creating the fully realized Bugster.

Which is kind of what I am now, now that I think about. The only thing different is that I overwrote the Bugster Virus with the assistance of the blank Gashat, and thus 'evolved' to a finished Bugster still in control.

Trippy.

Anyhoo, back to the breakdown.

The funniest thing about the Gamer virus however came from the fact that knowing about actually made it worse. The reason being?

The lynch pin of most problems in life- Stress.

Yep. Stress caused the body to metabolize things faster and raise the blood-flow rate to new heights, causing the virus to become more active and seep deeper into sections of the body. Fun.

Yeah, learning about such a thing existing makes people panic, who'd a thunk it?

That's not to say there's no possibly way to survive the virus if you have it, far from it. In fact, the opposite happened more often than not.

If the body was able to develop anti-bodies against the literal impossible-virus, it could stand ANYTHING. Like, metabolize any level of nutrient from anything you eat, use any type of blood-type transfusion with zero hassle, even things like temperature changes lessened in effect depending on the growth. One could almost say that surviving it turned the person into a video game character.

There was also the whole 'able to survive and use Gashat's' as well, but that was kind of a tertiary concern when stacked against 'survival' and 'what the fuck is happening to me'.

The chances of such however were RIDICULOUSLY low, unless you had specific limiters or exceptions, such as Blank Gashat's to either awaken or quell the virus, a vaccine made from the original Bugster source, ie ME, vampire style, or fully purged the body of blood while still being able to survive.

Hmm...I wonder if they would try that last one when Aigis gets infected...questions for later.

"Now that that's over with, let's get you out in play, ne?" I chuckle to myself as I finish my page and a half of tangentially held together 'plans' in the word processor, before labeling it Grocery List and forgetting its existence.

Instead, my focus was on the cases before me. Four metal cases, each holding a GamerDriver and Blank Gashat.

"Yeah, this'll be fun."

END OF CHAPTER

So many gears spin in the background, the fun will be starting soon


	4. Chapter 4: Spreading and Learning (2)

Now, contrary to what I was talking about earlier, my plan is NOT to just sit back and watch as the city fall's or rises with the Bugster Virus. Not for the long term in any case.

Nah, that would set off all kinds of red flags that I didn't need happening if unnecessary. So, I did what any two-faced bastard would do, and decided to 'donate' some of the analysis stethoscopes, creatively named Game Scopes to the hospitals around Brockton under my new identity for now. If you haven't guessed it by now, it's Doctor Pacman.

Cause if its one good thing that came from that god-awful movie, it was that fantastic mask that's still as meaningless to me as it was then. But it did it's job well, outside of finding Gamer Virus in victims and acting as a cellphone (which would come in handy later), what the fact the scopes can see where injuries and germs gather in the body, making it possible to, literally, put antibodies or inject vaccines in areas they'll do the most good. The fact they were made with cast-off parts from the GamerDriver was just icing on the cake of my budget. Truly Rider science was Best science. If only it didn't come at the cost of horrific virus', external rituals, or literal changes in species. Eh, is what it is.

That was another thing that was kind of a downturn, I think as my lips pull into a small pout, looking at the corner of my living room, where sitting across a table was the perfectly intact, unusable WizarDriver. The fact that it needed a host with an Awakened Phantom, a being that could only be housed in a human that experiences true despair and recovers through intense hope, a tragically lacking quantity in Earth Bet, the Final Hope would have to be but a pleasent dream for now.

Unless I went to an aftermath of a Slaughter House attack and happened to find a survive, but that sounded like a hassle and probably more danger than I could currently afford to live through.

'But that wasn't to say everything went poorly' I thought quickly as I looked down to the side of my desk, and the little black book that sat their.

While making a Terminal Driver was currently beyond my capabilities, a pass was by no means such. All it took was a plank piece of plastic, a pinch of Time Sand (Made by gathering dust in between clock gears and a small ritual involving aged fruit that was really more science than magic with how it went) and the Ride Pass Ticket was born.

With said ticket, I could enter the Denliner whenever it wished, though it was sadly lacking any sign of life in this reality, sadly. Though thank you for being a constant of Time being a stable entity, and for saving my the hassle of trying to build a train single-handedly.

But, in any case, I now had a means to quickly come and go places that nobody would immediately think of. At least, I HOPE, that a person first thought to seeing a man disappear through a doorway is that their using an almost sentient time-traveling train that goes where it wants too. That leads to other questions.

Last up on the docket of things that happened. Sengoku Drivers. Fuck them. While they could create some of the most powerful Riders in the history of the series, Looking at YOU Man of Beginnings, like FUCK i'm letting Helheim get its leafy claws on this crap-shoot of a world. The LAST thing ANYONE needs is Bonesaw-enhanced Lockseeds, not to mention their plant forms. Also, the three seconds I was in that accurately named dimension, it felt like I was being hunted and devoured in the same instance from the singular breath I took, making me lust for both blood and peaches in that instant.

I got out of there as fast as I fucking could and then burned the zipper I made, before making the left-over metal into an anchor and chucking it as far out into the Bay as possible. Which was pretty damn far, which by itself served as a nice little test for my new body before I hightailed it the hell away.

So yeah, some wins and more losses, but them's the breaks some time.

Ooh, something sparked on PHO! Let's check out, shall we, 'me'?

CHAPTER END

Now we're getting places. Let's see some actual interaction and what-not, shall we?


	5. Chapter 5: Those Watching The Game

**Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.  
You are currently logged in: Dr. Pacman (Verified Cape) (Unverified Waka)**  
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 **Topic: New Panic in the Bay?  
In: Boards ► News ► Events ►Brockton Bay**  
 **  
► PiginaHat  
Replied on October 24th:  
**  
Okay, so, I was at the hospital the other day, nothing major or anything. Just a sprain, but I overheard some serious shit. Something got a lot of nurses and docs freaking out a couple rooms over, but I can't find anything major happening. Anyone able to fill me in?

► **Whisky_owl (Not Nearly Drunk Enough)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:  
**  
Dude, we live in the Bay. If it isn't Nazi's or dragons, it's people getting strung up on drugs. Prob's just a bunch of Merchant's washing up unannounced trying to 'get clean'. It happens.

► **AtomicPlaster (Temp-Banned)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:**

 **F**king what man? When the F**k does that happen? You trying to tell us something?**

 **Drago-Raiser (Moderator)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:**

 **Hey, keep the language PG, this is a forum asking a question, not about what your mother is like. Take the day to cool off.**

 **Guardian Of The Woozle (Precious Cinnamon Defender)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:  
**  
Ha! Always one in every thread!

But **PiginaHat** Does raise a good question. That kind of shit isn't normal, specially when you guys have one of the best healers in the world there.

► **Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)  
Replied on October 24th**

Now, you didn't hear it from me, but you know those new stethoscopes some of the Hospitals in the Bay have been using lately?

Spoiler: These Things

Well, apparently, outside of the normal things it's used for, it can make some kind of holofield that shows you virus's and injuries without all that nasty surgery and treatments. It's already saved the hospital and staff a lot of money on supplies but not a lot is known about the supplier. I'm side-tracking a bit though.

The thing that freaked people out so much is this weird little germ or something that's been appearing more often in their patients. They think it might be like the common cold or something, cause nothing they're doing so far seems to effect it much. It's weird.

 **Wharf_Rat (Temp-Banned)  
Replied on October 24th:**  
 **  
D**KING WHAT! THAT'S SERIOUS SHIT! WHAT IF BONESAW IS HERE!**

 **►Drago-Raiser (Moderator)  
Replied on October 24th:**

 **Okay, I understand you're worried about things in your town, and god job avoiding bad language. But please don't insinuate things like that immediately. Take four hours from this thread and get a grip man.**

 **►Snailborne (Shelly)**  
 **Replied on October 24h:  
**  
Yeah man, relax. I'm a doctor, and let me tell you, new strains of germs and whatnot are discovered every other day. Yeah, most of them happen in more tropic and rural areas with greater wildlife, but you live in a BAY, surrounded by metal wrecks. Stuff'll spread and get immunized in a few months tops. S'why we do flu shots and boosters.

Plus, if it IS something worse, like **Guardian Of The Woozle** said, you guys have Panacea right on hand to stop that it in its tracks. Not every thing in the world is a Slaughter House Card or a Simurgh Plot.

► **Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)  
Replied on October 24th:**

Oh good, someone beat me too it for once. Yeah, Panacea's taking the day off for once, so once she's back it'll either be a lost-concern or some kind of drug residue max. The fact that regular people can see what and where the actual things themselves are REALLY makes it better.

► **(Verified Cape) (Unverified Waka)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:  
**  
Glad to see my work being put to good use. I look forward to seeing what else it can be used for.

► **Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)  
Replied on October 24th:**

Hey, if it isn't the mysterious Tinker no-one can find! Thanks for that generous donations you gave, but could we ask why? That kind of paints a target most don't want on them, especially on what little we know about you. The Public's dying to know.

( _I'm the public_ )

► **(Verified Cape) (Unverified Waka)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:**

No worries at all my good Rodent, I'm always willing to share bits and bobs.

To start with, hoarding my tech does me no good. What could be done with one set of hands, even my own, could be done multiple times over and better by others, such as the doctors located all throughout this fine city.

For another, these are...a test of limits, you could say. Seeing what they do, how they can handle actual performance. Things like that. In return, people save time and money which can be used to save or help even more. A more than equal exchange.

Does that quell your curiosity and concerns my friend? The same to you **PiginaHat**?

► **Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)  
Replied on October 24th:  
**  
Oh, uh, wow. Was not really expecting a reply that...open minded and whatnot. Yeah, that answers some questions I had...

Thanks **.  
**  
Though, maybe go with a less...evil looking mask? It's cool and all for an avatar, but...

► **(Verified Cape) (Unverified Waka)**  
 **Replied on October 24th:**

But I like my mask...

 **Drago-Raiser (Moderator)  
Replied on October 24th:**

 **Okay people, we've pretty much fulfilled the purpose of this thread and are starting to meander a bit too far into different topics. If you want to keep it up, move it over to a Boards ►Capes ►Introduction's Thread.**

 **That said, I now declare this thread LOCKED.**

 **It will be unlocked if it becomes relevant again or I am PMed a god enough reason to do so. Good Day.**

END OF CHAPTER

 ** _YAY, FIRST DECENTLY DONE PHO CHAPTER! I'M SO PROUD!_**


	6. Chapter 6: Players Gathered

The best part about being a Bugster in the day to day routine was definitely the ability to manipulate machines around me.

It was nothing really major, not without completely overriding the thing in question with ludicrous amounts of bio-virus, but it made things so much easier. TV's reception came in clearer and in higher depth than regular broadcasting, Wi-Fi was just that much faster, and radios could be switched to whatever I felt like listening too with but a flick of the finger. The greatest thing however was also the most 'useless'.

Background music from my memories. It was fucking great. I 'build' a set of mini speakers into the lining of my coat, and with but a thought, I could have whatever I want blaring at a moments notice. Thanks memories literally being transformed into memory files. Well worth the massive pain and technical change in species.

I sadly couldn't use it as often as I would like to, what with the whole 'outing' of my identity if people look closely enough, but until that day comes when I don't care about it, I will just continue to be uploading songs to PHO and watching people endlessly debate who the hell was singing.

It was good music too, which was a plus. That felt like a good deed for a day, which means it's time for some prep while the iron is interested.

"Ennie minnie miney mo, Who would want to kill me so~" I sang to myself as staggered as possible, playing up the creep factor as I stroll through the dark and empty school.

Yeah, I solved that little Academia access problem. While carefully guarded and watched in the daytime, they relied only on three moderately-paid security guards and a set of seriously high-grade cameras to keep their haven safe until day light. For shame, that wouldn't even stop a mildly focused virus! Like me for example! For shame.

Also learned that Faraday cages, while they don't really hurt me or anything, leave me feeling...compressed I want to say? I guess I was just used to free-balling it energy wise, but it passed after I got used to it. Like the opposite of swimming, is the closest I could describe.

Anywho, I'm here in this spooky scary school of learning to leave a few gifts, aside from another dosing of Bugster/Gamer/Buggle Virus around the campus just to make certain. No, my gift this time...

Were Blank Gashats.

What, thought I would hoard those to myself, only handing them out when I find some 'protags' to get power-ups when necessary? HA!

Cause you'd be right. That's EXACTLY what I'm doing. I've made and stored, like, a hundred blank Gashats throughout the cities and areas all around the City, but only 10 GamerDrivers, along with Game Scopes so I can set myself up as the Game Master I so obviously should be.

The more there are around, the better chance people will find them. They can then either serve as a cure to the already infected, or raise stress levels when people discover the unknown, clearly Tinker items scattered so randomly, causing more Virus levels to rise. Even if the Protectorate or literally any other random Tinker or Hero figure them out, it'd only help me. It's my win, even if I 'lose'.

Though, as I finish hiding my last Blank Gashat behind a random book in a library (How to Code For Dummies) I wonder if I made the right choices for my candidates...

Eh, I'm sure it will be fine.

SCENE SHIFT

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHA!" Leet continued to scream for the fifth minute straight, even as Uber tried frantically to stop it, going so far as to physically drag him away from the metal briefcase they had found on their lairs coffee-table.

SCENE SHIFT

"What the Fuck is this?" Alec, or Regent as he was more famously known, as he lifted up the weird-ass green and pink belt-buckle that was in his favorite spot on the couch.

SCENE SHIFT

"Oh my GOD, I WAS RIGHT! THE ILLUMINATI **IS** WILLING TO REWARD THOSE WHO SEE TRUTH! THANK YOU ZOMBIE JESUS!" Greg shouted in triumph, before swiftly looking left and right, wary of this being another trap.

SCENE SHIFT

"How the hell did someone leave this here?" Taylor Hebert hissed with no small amount of fear. Who had gotten into her room just to leave a metal case with a belt and a stethoscope in it.

SCENE SHIFT

"Is this someone's idea of a joke." Amy Dallon deadpanned as she raised the stethoscope in her hands, turning it over and checking every nook and cranny, completely ignoring the fashion disaster of a buckle that was left in the grooves of the case.

SCENE RETURN

"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine." I mutter to myself, now safely away from the school and looking over the water, watching float sum wash ashore and return with each wake, before turning back to the city, taking out my Ride Pass and flagging down the nearest entrance to my Home Away From Here.

"After all, tomorrow, the Fun REALLY starts."

END OF CHAPTER

I didn't show who all received a Gamer Driver. That is on purpose.

Peaceful Days are Ending.

Let's Survive.


	7. Chapter 7: Maximum Aid

_**Yay, guess who's back with things? Yeah, sorry for the delay there, but in my defense, I got a Switch, and have since occupied myself by completing Hollow Knight by 112%, as well as Dead Cell's which is perfect for my reflexes to sharpen. It's a hella lot of fun. But I digress.**_

 _ **Here's the first of the next few interludes. I have some things to set up I think you'll all enjoy.**_

 _ **Let's see if I'm right.**_

 **THE MAXIMUM AID DESERVED**

Life, as seen by one Taylor Hebert, could be described and summarized in a few short sentences.

Life sucks. And then you die.

Given that her experiences so far in life consisting of: losing those important to her, having a friend who was for all in tense and purposes a sister betray her, and having to deal with shit day in and day out with no help or care from anyone around her caused BY said backstabbing friend, it was easy to see why such thinking appeared in a girl not even out of her teens.

Aaaand it all kind of culminated in the obviously Tinkertech briefcase that sat so innocently on her bed after a long day of the pre-described negatives.

The thoughts just kept racing through her Taylor's head, each one more ludicrous or preposterous as the rest.

'What the fuck is this, why is this here, did Dad somehow get enough money to buy something from a Tinker, did a Tinker leave this here, isthisabombohgoddidthetrioshelloutmoneytobuytinkertechwhatthefuckfuckfuckwhatisi-' Taylor's thoughts continued to spiral, escalating faster and faster, before she was forced to shake her head as fast as she could, dislodging the thoughts and trying to reach some kind of solid ground to work off of.

"Okay, stop it." Taylor whispered to herself harshly, hating that her first instinct was panic, even when in the face of tinkertech. It might have been understandable, but it still chaffed.

"Occam's Razor. The simplest thing is usually the solution. Think. The Trio doesn't have the money to shell out for Tinker stuff, let alone for a prank...and neither does Dad. At least not without some backalley deals..." Taylor muttered to herself as she finally began to move forward. There was a minor flinch when she came within a foot of the case, but with no signs of impending death and or explosions, Taylor finally got a good look and feel for the weird case on her bed.

[SPOILER="Deck of Many Things"][/SPOILER]

It...was a pure black and grey, with what looked like bolted together corners and a slightly raised top to it. It also had some kind of red lettering on its side...

GD.. Gamer Driver Software...

"So it's a case of software? Or a computer?" Taylor mumbled to herself, taking extra care when picking up now identified case, taking note of the surprisingly heft to it, and the fact that every part of it was made of the weird, pure black metal.

Sadly, it seemed she wasn't careful enough, Taylor thought with with a sudden hiss as she felt something nip her skin when touching the interior of the handle, causing her to reflexively throw the case down, to her horror seconds after the action registered.

Luckily, it seemed that life decided to give her this one, as the case landed painlessly back on the bed, with minimum fanfare. Well, for a moment.

 **BIO-LINK REGISTERED. WELCOME, PLAYER**

"Oh, shit." Taylor said out loud, hand forgotten as the case suddenly announced something VERY ominous, despite the obvious lack of speakers shown.

Then the case swung open.

"Oh, there they are." She said somewhat woodenly, suddenly getting an eyeful of the cases contents and wondering if this was when she died.

After another few moments of nothing happening, she allowed herself to relax a bit and actually take note of the contents before her.

It...was a weird assortment.

With the top half of the case being completely empty except for one black handle and speakers in its corner, the bottom was what really caught the eye. Or rather, the eye-searing green and pink...belt buckle? And a matching stethoscope laid out flat around it. What even was this?

Then the music began to play.

[SPOILER="Let us Begin"] watch?v=beK-q0xTenM[/SPOILER]

 _Got it move... WOW!_

"AH, WHAT THE HELL!" Taylor yelled as she scrambled away from the now vibrating stethoscope, one button now highlighted on its pink body.

 _Don't Say No, JUST LIVE MORE, DOn't Say No, Just LIVE MORE!_

 _Survivor you got to move, Genoai wa sanagara Sengoku_

Was as far as it was able to sing before Taylor reached the case again, hitting the glowing button and stopping the music, hopefully before anyone else could hear it.

What happened next... was weird.

The stethoscope, which Taylor was quickly beginning to realize maybe wasn't, snapped ramrod straight with the metal bit pointed up.

Then it projected a small beam of light upward, stopping after a foot, and revealed the form of person, sitting in a chair.

 _"Well look at you! You picked up MUCH faster than I was expecting. Too bad, I liked that song."_ Said the tiny figure, voice shockingly deep for such a small image.

Taylor gulped in her suddenly dry mouth as she simply held the scope in her hand. What the fuck was happening?

Luckily enough though, it looked like the figure was kind enough to talk for both of them.

 _"Welp, I'm sure you have a lot of questions. So do I! But those are for later. Right now, let me set some things up for ya, okay?"_

There was a seconds pause, where Taylor opened her mouth to say yes, but the figure continued regardless.

 _"Fantastic. I love it when people work with me. SO! Let's start with the obvious. Who am I, what's in your case, and why you."_ For the first time, the figure moved from its static image, staring straight into Taylor's eyes. And the silhouette against the palm sized light she was looking at suddenly disappeared, leaving her to look at a small figure in a lab coat, and a weird wrap-around yellow helmet with some kind of smiley, fanged face on the front.

 _"By now it should be done buffering my image, so let's get acquainted. I'm Doctor Pac-Man, and I am neither a doctor OR a Pac-man. Surprise."_ The now named figure, Pac-Man? Doctor? Pac? drawled, even giving a little show of jazz hands at the end of his sentence.

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Hebert."_ And that sentence sent a cold chill down her spine.

"How do you know my name?" Taylor spat out before the words really registered leaving her mouth. Why did this obvious cape, pre-recording or not, know her name?

After a moment, the Doctor Pac or whatever was silent for a moment, and Taylor feared she had pushed some kind of button or response she shouldn't have, before it-he? finally shrugged and began to speak again.

 _"Eh, that's a fair question. Not one I'll answer right this minute, but you'll see why by the end. Let's hold off till the end, please?"_ Doctor Pac spoke, the figure not looking much more life-like, now in a slight slouch and moving idly every few seconds. Was the previous figure actually a recorded message?

Eye's narrowed but willing to see where this went, Taylor nodded but didn't say anything, wanting to see if it could register non-vocal images.

 _"Great, glad you're still cooperating. Would be a bit annoying if you didn't, for one of us at least. In that case, onto question two. What. Well the answer I'll give you is both simple and not. That, my dear, is a Driver. The Gamer Driver, to be exact. Along with a Gashat, and GameScope, which is what we're speaking through. And before you ask what any of those things are, let me just say my last answer. Alright?"_ Pac-man said as figure raised both hands, motioning to stop the questions already building.

"I'd better get those answers." Taylor quietly grumbled as the figure refigured itself, now taking a pose with one hand on the neck, and legs spread.

 _"Our last question...Why. It's also the simplest and hardest of them all. Alright, I'll be blunt about it. I see what has and is happening to you, Miss Hebert."_

Any possible hold on the conversation Taylor thought she had control of just jumped the rails as her blood became ice.

What did he mean, how did he know, for how long...

Wait.

"You _know_. And you haven't told anyone or done anything?" Taylor hissed with vitriol heavy in her tone. What the fuck, was this someone who saw what was happening and wanted to join in? One other person who saw her as some piece of string helpless to do anything? Just something to

 _"What do you think the case is?"_

That stopped her short. Wh-

"at." She croaked, thoughts and face focused directly on the figure once again.

 _'I'm giving you a ticket to change. So many look past you, so many dismiss you, but when I look at you,_ Taylor Hebert _, I see a caterpillar trying desperately to become a butterfly, only to be blown away each time. Let's give you shelter."_

The eyes became half-lidded.

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Doctor Pac waved his hand.

 _"Sorry, got lost in thought. Still, what I'm saying is this. With this Driver, you can change your life. You can make the city something you want it to be. You can be a Hero. So what do you say? Want to give it a try?"_

What did you say to that? Someone, a Tinker, out of nowhere asking you if they can fulfill your biggest dream, all for what? There had to be some kind of catch. But even if...

"What do I have to do?"

The words were heavy, for they held her future. This was a chance she would NOT let slip. Even if she couldn't change others lives, even if she could just change her own...

 _"It's easy. You see that hilt in the top of the case? That one right over there?"_ Doctor Pac called as he pointed over to the long-forgotten case over on the right.

Taylor gulped again, but made the short steps over to the bed she has drifted away from, and took hold of the hilt. It came out shockingly easily, and revealed the top to be made of some kind of glass or crystal, with circuit lines criss-crossing it.

It felt light, in her hand.

"Okay. I have it, now what?" Taylor asked, licking her dry lips. Was this it? She was going to become a hero, like this? it felt...wrong, but she wasn't sure why.

 _"Good. All you have to do, is push the button on the Gashat. Then the Games begin._ " With that last ominous statement, the figure fell silent and rigid, as if a statue.

A push of a button. A button, the button, the button, the changing of a life, held in such a little action.

Taylor felt the front of the little button against her index finger. It felt like a trigger.

To what, she didn't know, but the little piece of plastic felt heavier than possible. But she didn't let go.

Her palm sweated, she began to pant, and her mind began to race, but her body made the decision.

The button was pushed, and her world became pain.

She might of been screaming, when the corners of her eyes erupted in pink and green lights and flashes, as she felt her hands and bones became flat and paper thin, as the world around her broke into cubes and returned to normal with every tear soaked blink.

But the thing she was focused on the most, with picture perfect clarity, was the deep, distorting voice of Doctor Pac-Man, from everywhere and nowhere.

 _"One who has undergone loss after loss, trial after trial, and even when faced with unjust odds and opposition, refuses to stoop to your aggressors level. These acts and more define the person known as Taylor Hebert, these and more are what define themselves in your game._

 **Mighty Action X** _._

 _"I know you will have what it takes to clear this unjust game with No Continues Taylor."_

 _"No, that name isn't right for what is to come. You will be reborn. The defender who helps others before herself, the Extreme Aid to the downtrodden and forgotten."_

 _"All of life is a Game, we merely are never told what kind."_

 _"Enjoy your switch of consoles,_ **Kamen Rider Ex-Aid** _. I look forward to seeing what you make."_

And all Taylor knew became Black and Green.

END OF CHAPTER

 _ **So, was it worth the wait?**_


	8. Chapter 8: Off-Shot Sniper

_**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Let's get started! I hope you all enjoy my gifts to you!**_

 _ **Let's get STARTED**_

 **What Better Gunman Than The Cowboy?**

Life, the Universe, and Everything was going great for one Greg Vader! Moderately, for the moment, at least.

Sure, you just got banned again for TOTALLY getting another Cape identity right, which was swiftly added to the board!, and there were moderately more fires downtown from Lung downtown right now, but those had been happening since you were a kid, so it was easy enough to ignore. But all that was easy to ignore, cause you FINALLY got a highscore in Space Oddessy!

You also found this weird briefcase by your shoe stand on your way in the door after school today, but that was probably just dad screwing around with you again, like that time he gave you that 'super' cape that made you smart.

YOU WORE THAT THING FOR A YEAR AND A HALF, THE FUCK DAD!

But you digressed, shaking away the thought as you took a screencap of your interstellar success, checked yet again the run time until the newly minted ban would be lifted (2 weeks, 7 hours, 3 minutes dag nab it) and so decided to check out what Dad was trying to pull this year.

So as you pulled up your chair to the side table you had been resting the case on, you took another few good looks at it.

'Gotta admit, this is some FINE bullshitery right here. Nice metal case, probs in a scrap heap or something before, polished and painted all fancy, Dad really's pulling the stops here.' You thought to yourself as you ran a hand over its finish, enjoying the slight indents of the G and D, along with the little divets in the corners.

"Okay, let's see what you abou- OW! Damnit dad, way to cheap out on the handle!" You suddenly hissed out, feeling something sharp prick your finger as you went to open the case. Was the joke tetanus? Because if it was, you were going to-!

 **BIO-LINK ESTABLISHED. WELCOME, PLAYER**

"Hide your shoes?" You half strangled out your throat as you heard the mechanical voice suddenly issue from nowhere, with the case popping open like it was spring-loaded.

Inside... was a green belt and that thing you always saw doctors wearbutcouldneverrememberohmyGODTHAT'STINKERTECHWHYISTHERETINKERTECH **WHATTHE FUCK WHY DO I HAVE A CASE WITH TINKERTECH WITH MY NAME ON IT WHAT THE FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUC-**

Music inturupted your mild to heavy breakdown. Thabk you music. You do good.

The instruments sounded harsh against themselves, and did a good job of shocking you out of the stupor. The words though. They kept you enraptured.

[SPOILER="Nothing if Achieved"] watch?v=F5j2FUKBQcI[/SPOILER]

 _It takes a simple nod to fall in line~_

 _But it takes everything to stand alone.~_

You gulped as the words began to drown out the world around you, computer long and away from your mind.

 _Eventually you may end up crossing the line , and then you fully understand that you're ass is on ~_

 _Your own._

 _Believe me I don't judge you just because of what you do, So don't judge me on things I'd rather not do~_

 _It ain't easy trying not to fit in_

 _Lost touch to a few close ones cuz I didn't give in a Courageous way of life_

 _Forever it feels like~_

You felt the weight of the words, the connections made and snapped with every syllable...

 _Gotta fight for my right to be who I really wanna be It's hard under pressure, any types of the gestures Don't matter to aggressors._

 _But I will not fall apart But I won't Cave in Even though I keep on walking alone Believe in Myself My faith Can't take my soul, NAH!~_

 **"Yeah, that's enough of that now. Was honestly not expecting you to get so caught up in that..."** A voice cut in, as suddenly as the music stopped from its source.

It felt like you took a punch to the gut as the music disappeared from the area. You could still hear the chords reverberating in your memory, ready to pick up again. So why...

 **"Yo! Vader! Earth to Vader! Do you read the Doctor?"** The voice continued again, finally jolting you back to reality. What the hell was that...

Aaaand you were staring at a holo-figure straight out of Star Wars. Except this was real.

"Am I tripping on something? Did Sparky give me a contact high?" You said out loud, straight at the little figure before you, just to be sure.

It shrugged, before replying.

 **"I don't know, maybe? I'm not sure what your really feeling right now, and am kind of surprised it took this long to get you talking, but I'd say with a good amount of certainty you aren't. Ya cool there?"** Floaty McSmall person said back, leaning forward enough that they were nearly at a 90 degree angle.

It admittedly took you a moment to slap yourself before replying.

"Yeah...I think so...Is this legit? Like, are you a Tinker, talking to me through Tech, and just...fucking what?" You tried to begin before just giving up the ghost. What the fuck was even happening right now.

 **"Ah! Finally something I can answer! Yes, I can tell you, without a Shadow of a doubt, I'm talking to you, Greg Vader, through a piece of my tech. The purpose however...hmm. Okay, I'll be honest with you."** Floaty spoke to you, gesturing with his hands on at a time, before bringing them together and facing directly at your face, somehow stepping out of the shadow that had been covering its body, and revealing a wickedly grinning Pac-Man.

 **"Greg Vader, I am Doctor Pac-Man, real name a secret for now, and I want you to play in my Game.**

It took all of a second for you to give your reply.

"This isn't a Saw-esque torture game where I have to kill or mutilate myself or others to win, right?

Pac shrugged again, filling you with very little confidence.

 **"Eh, 90-10 you'll be fine, but there are always things out of my control, it's just the world we live in, you know?"** Pac said, putting his arms behind his head, leaning back against some invisible wall.

Watch cartoons online, Watch anime online, English dub anime

"Yeeahhh, with a winning endorsement as that, I'll have to say n-

 **"You're already playing."**

That stopped you short.

"Wh-what do you mean?" You said, suddenly fearful. What the hell did he mean?

 **"That registration you heard to open the case? Yeah, that was my case taking a sample of your blood, hardwiring it to your new Driver, and awakening your sleeping Bugster Virus."** Pac spoke those ominous words so casually.

He continued.

 **"Unless you activate the enclosed Gashat and play my little game, my Virus will take over your body, and you'll live a short, pain filled existence before it literally tears itself from your cells and forms a new person. But hey! It's not all bad! Play along for a bit, and you'll go to heights you never could have dreamed! Still so quick to say no?"**

This damn random cape... what the fuck kind of situation was this. 'Play my game or die anyway?' That was some Bonesaw level shit right there. You felt your teeth grit hard enough to chip, and your knuckles whiten as they trembled no matter how hard you tried to stop them. Finally, you spat out an answer.

"Fine. I'll play your...game."

 **"Fantastic. Then I just need you to do one more thing. Everything else can come later. You look like you need some time alone. Want me to send the links to tht song and a few others you were listening to earlier?"**

So. FUCKING. CASUAL! The anger had to come later though...

"Just...just tell me what I need to do to get you to shut up." You were all but snarling now, but damn it, you were so angry about the sheer disregard to your life that you just couldn't bring yourself to care.

It seemed Pac-fucker was the same.

 **"You see that little black piece of metal in the top case slot? Take it out, and push the silver trigger. The rest is up to you."**

And just like that, Pac-man stood stock still, watching his every move with those blank, masked eyes mocking him...

You decided to not pay anymore attention to this bastard and looked for whatever piece of tech he wanted.

"There it is..." You whispered, feeling the weight in your palm, pulling it ou-!

"Woah!"

The whatever it was shot out with your strong pull, as if shot out of a gun.

You felt it slip from your palm, leaving only one finger in its grip, causing it to spin twice, before you finally got it to stop.

You..felt...the trigger give...

 **A** _ **nD**_ **t** _H_ ** _e_** _w_ O **R** L _d_ ** _f_** **ELL** ** _aw_** _A_ **y**

 _Nothing else existed except the point before your brain and the end of your eye. Space and reality meant nothing before your sight. The body didn't resist, the muscles were pointless, the gatewaytothefuturewasSTRAIGHTFORWARD_

You didn't know what was happening. Nothing existed but everything was within sight, endless sight, _endless targets, ENDLESS_

That bastards voice drove you back to reality, life zooming back and forth to its original places.

 **"Greg Vader. One who shoots into the dark, time after time after time. Regardless of the backlash he receives, despite the emotions of those around him, you always dive right to the center of your goals and theories. Like a sniper with his target, you never let them go, no matter how outlandish."**

 **"I hope you enjoy this game, of** _ **BANG BANG SHOOTING**_ **you've found yourself in."**

 **"Kamen Rider...Ex-Sight."**

 **"Until Next Game~"**

His voice dissipated, and with a staticy click, it was gone.

You layed there on the floor, desperately struggling to move or think about anything through your pounding headache, muscles like weights in water.

You had one thought before finally losing consciousness.

'Pac-Man...I'll find out who you are...and make you pay for treating people like toys!'

END OF CHAPTER


	9. Chapter 9: Back to Business

_**This is the 9th chapter and I haven't even done a proper transformation scene yet. For shame, me.**_ ****

 ** _CHAPTER: START-O! ARE YOU READY?  
_**  
"Haa~h. Bored, Bored, b-ooorred~" Aidan drawled out from his position on his couch, upside down and lazily flipping through channels.

'When I handed out the Drivers I expected SOMEONE to go out and use them. But NOOO~ It's all Nazi's and Dragons!' Aidan huffed in his head even as hands melded with the remote for a moment, giving it a orange and blue motif and speeding up the channel surfing exponentially.

After another click, the contents of the TV switched from normal programmed sitcoms to security camera footage. It was literally but to hack a camera hat was also 'yourself' after all.

"Nothing, nothing, some guys trying to steal a bike, nothing, nothing, a mime stealing wallets, nothing. DAMN IT WHY IS THIS SO HARD!" He cried out at last, getting frustrated at the sheer lack of crime or heroism to be seen mid-day.

It was one thing when he had been laying low of months, gathering money and ways to spread, but right here? When his plan had been active for a 3 WEEKS! C'MON! WOULDN'T THEY WANT To-!

"They have no reason to fight yet." Aidan numbly spoke outloud, before smacking himself in the face with his remote hand.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID! I gave them means but no REASON to! All I told them was here's some powers and baited some of them to find ME! WHO DOES NOTHING!" he agonized for a minute, dropping from the couch to writh on the ground for a bit.

After a second, he popped to his feet, slapping his face and conveniently knocking the remote from its place in his hand.

"Okay, no. I can fix this. I just...need to incentiveize some people. Yeah. But what can I..." As he spoke, Aidan's eyes darted to the Pac-Man fever Gashat, before switching over to the abandoned bikes and cars across from his 'home', the train having stopped in a random warehouse for the next 23 minutes.

'Lightbulb~' Aidan thought as a wicked grin grew on his face, with said item actually appearing above his head in a pixelized form.

 **CHANGE: NOW  
**  
Life was not great for Hobo-Joe. His name wasn't even Joe, but everybody called him that and it was fucking infuriating.

Even before all this 'Cape' bullshit happened it was the same, nobody cared for the little folks who saw everything. Who made decent money but couldn't hold onto it because 'obviously a homeless guy can't make money'. Fuckers.

And here comes another mother-fucker, a little shit swaggering back alleys, probably hoping he meets a Cape or some shit on a dare. Not his problem.

"Excuse me, my good sir?" Apparently it was with how fuck-face was talking to him now.

"What'd ya want, punk." Joe snarled out as best he could. Was he here to make fun of the homeless man?

If anything, the little punks grin grew even larger, bringing even more attention to the glasses on his face, sitting thick and crooked as if someone hand punched them off. Might be happening again.

"You have some spunk. Want to hear a proposition of mine?" The brat asked as he cocked his head, now looking directly down and giving Joe a good look at his solid black and white shoes. Could probably sell for a good mark. Still, some stuff had to be said.

"I'm hard up for cash, but I ain't doing butt-stuff." Joe was nothing if not straight about his intents.

The kid chuckled of a little at that, but it...seemed to have an edge to it now, making Joe sit just a little straighter against the wall he'd been up against. After another moment, he spoke.

"I promise you, neither am I. No, I'm here to offer you...something else." Were the cryptic words before be reached a hand behind his back before pulling it back out with an object that had no place being as large as it was from the place he pulled it, like a fuckin magician. Spoiler: Whatever it was was eye-searing pink.  
It also looked like an old video game cartridge from his childhood, but there was...an aura of menace now surrounding the kid before Joe.

He tried to gulp, but his throat was suddenly bone dry.

"Wha-what's that offer?" Joe stumbled to ask.

In the same heartbeat, the strange cartridge was shoved straight into his heart, parting flesh and bone as if it wasn't even there. The breath was stolen from Joe as he fearfully looked up into the eyes of his killer, and froze again when he saw the eyes of Blue and Red, with small squares circling the pupil.

It was an eternity before the next words were spoken.

"Why, to be reborn beyond your current self. isn't it a good deal?" The brat, no. The MONSTER before Joe snicked.

He tried to lift his arms, knock him away, dig it out, SOMETHING, but the world devolved in green and numbers.

The last words Joe heard would haunt his soul all the way to wherever he landed.

 **BUGGLE UP!  
**  
'Welcome to the World... **SALTY**."

END OF CHAPTER

 _ **I never said it would be a good Henshin, did I?**_

 _ **Also, this chapter was originally going to be another interlude chapter, but I decided to move the story along a bit more before doing those. kind of front loading, ya know?**_


	10. Chapter 10: Start New Game

_**Back to a new game, shall we start the Character Selection?**_ ****

 ** _Chapter_** **Re-A-Dy!  
**  
"Haaa~hhh" Aidan drawled out in a sigh as he sat in his booth on the Den-Liner. He looked out at the increasingly more familiar sandstorm happening through the window, and imagined all the other worlds just waiting to be born. He was also completely ignoring the other person in said train.

Salty was directly across from him, armor covered legs crossed as he sipped a blue-colored coffee through his crab-like mandibles, held in his one human hand while the other crustacean-esce appendage cradled a saucer.

"I don't get what you're signing about Young Master, this is very nice coffee." Salty finally said after another few sips, setting down the now drained beverage and adjusting his top-hat as Aidan turned to look at him.

"This isn't ABOUT the coffee. My virus has been out for months now, Riders are kitted as well as they can start with, and I've been granting 'wishes' to people for the last 3 WEEKS. And yet NO-ONE has had serious investigations towards the decreasing homeless population, or serious team-ups to defeat ludicrous odds and break boundaries." Aidan got out through grit teeth, before lashing up onto the table, and pointing right at the opposite side of the cabin, where a laptop innocently sat.

"I EVEN SET UP A PHO ACCOUNT CALLED KAMEN RIDER ANSWER! YET NOBODIES REPLIED, NOT EVEN EX-SIGHT!" Aidan roared in the face of Salty, making his cape flap at the air being released.

Salty, kept his calm.

"Instead of being such a great example of myself, why don't we change up the methods then Young Master? Mayhaps...something direct for a change?" Salty threw out with an almost eager gleam in his beady eyes.

"You know, you're on to something there Salty. This is why I'm glad I met you, ya think of ideas I just don't want to do yet." Aidan pondered as he rubbed his chin, flickers of red energy beginning to run underneath the skin of his hand.

After a minute, he snapped, making a small explosion of fire that quickly turned itself into a small shard of red crystal in the shape of a microchip.

"Heh. I got it. Go plant this at Winslow, it'll get them into...the fighting spirit." Aidan spoke before throwing his new prize out and laughing proudly.

As his minion swiftly caught the object and placed it into the brim of his hat, he too rose to his full height and gave a deep bow, claw crossing against his chest like a true gentleman.

"I will do so. Mayhaps I will even meet my mortal foe...what a day this shall be." With that said, Salty did an about face and dissolved into a floating cloud of rapidly changing 1's and 0's, flitting through the now opened door of the Den-Liner.

Aidan merely watched amused for a moment, before all trace of such removed itself from his face.

"Your an alright guy Salty. Shame you're most likely going to be starting fodder. But your sacrifice won't be in vain." As he spoke, Adan exited the cabin towards the back cart, an area filled with random assorted bowls, items, and computer screens showing read-outs.

With a swift drop and kick of the legs, he was in a rolling chair and stopped in front of what looked like a high-tech 3-D printer and three sets of guns on either side.

"With you announcing the presence of a new threat, a fire will be ignited that no-one can stop. Rider's will be tested, bonds shall be made and broken, and the world will never be the same. But, out of all things..." Aidan continued to monologue to himself, one eye watching the monitor of Salty planting the chip he made in the front lobby of Winslow after hours, and the other one watching a bright, sparking liquid be dripped into an animal shaped bottle.

"It's going to be a **Smash**."

END OF CHAPTER

 _ **We gon be getting some action and sight from some other people coming up soon.**_

 _ **PS:Also fixed a certain thing I overlooked when writing a previous chapter that's KIND of a big deal. My B.**_


	11. Chapter 11: Ret-2-GO

**_As always, I own none of the properties involved, never have, most likely never will, ecetera ecetera. ON WITH THE STORY!  
_** **  
Chapter 9: Ret-2-GO!**

 **Or**

 **Huh, so Living on a Train DOES Screw Things Up  
**  
On an indiscript park bench located on one Capital Hill, Aidan had to hold himself back from gripping his newly acquired slushie into an icy plastic ball from the sheer anger he was feeling as he looked at his phone. Instead, he merely grit his teeth and felt a tic mark of anger pop up in bright red for a moment before he forced it back down to lower regions of his body.

3 DAYS. As far as literally anyone knew, 3 DAYS WERE ALL THAT HAD PASSED SINCE HE GAME OUT THE DRIVERS AND STARTED TURNING PEOPLE FOR ROBBERIES.

AS FAR AS ANYONE WAS CONCERNED, A GANG OF CASE 53'S JUST ROBBED A BUNCH OF PLACES BEFORE DISAPPEARING ENTIRELY! NO WONDER THERE WERE NO RIDERS, THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO WORK THEM YET! FUCK!

Still, of all the problems living on a time-traveling train, this... was one he honestly should have considered. The Liner itself only synced back in with regular reality for minutes at a time all around the world if it was going to course, so to assume time would be the same would be stupid. Fuck, even in the show we have no idea the timeframes between fights. Could have been days, could have been weeks!

Aidan forced a deep breath out through grit teeth, before loosening and taking a massive sip of his drink of choice. With it now half-emptied, he just took a moment to cool down, and NOT crush his phone into scrap parts for another NS Magphone.

This was fine, he could work with this. All it meant was a new base of operation had to be found, and the train could still be used as a lab bay/ attack center with that kind of time variable. Shit, he could even get some Kivats in the works if the disparity was about a month to a day like it seemed to be. This could be a blessing in disguise! If only it didn't sucker-punch his expectations to the world set-up he had going on.

"Haah, damn it, nothing going for it now. Let's just see what fun Salty's having at school. That should cheer me up." Aidan sighed as he quickly dumped the last bit of frozen delight into his mouth before stepping behind the bench and going down, as if using stairs accompanied by a stuttering blue light. As the crest of his head disappeared from sight, so to did the light fade-

Only to drop out on the roof of Winslow High in a portal of red light that snapped shut as quickly as it appeared.

"Let's see something fun, okay? I could use some fun, **Salty**." Aidan chuckled as he leaned against the chilling metal railings, his eyes flashing with a streak of color before dying back down.

 **-BREAK. YOUR BODY OF TEXT-  
**  
It was a normal day for Winslow High, with the students packed tightly together and barely disguised apathy or anger surged through the atmosphere.

It wasn't actually any different from other shitty days, but today...felt worse. Like everyone was just waiting to go off.

Thus, Taylor Hebert did the logical thing, and went home never to return to this place of misery...No, unfortunately not. As much as it would be wonderful, such a dream would have to wait, lest truancy officers try and drag her back like wardens to this prison of emotion and trauma.

' _Wow, I'm really being metaphoric today...'_ Taylor thought with a small purse of her lips as she walked through the halls to 's homeroom. She..had had a few strange reactions like that every since that night with -man. After getting up off the floor and drinking enough water to fill three milk jugs, she just sat there opting between staring at the now open case with it's still neon colored 'Driver', and the small cartridge her hand refused to let go off till late in the night.

It was also around 6 that morning that she discovered she had stayed up the whole night and didn't even notice. It was only her dad's shout of heading to work that broke her from the stupor she was unknowingly in, but it wasn't the end result. Over the weekend, Taylor had found out a few things about herself now. For starters, sleep...didn't seem to be a factor anymore for her. She could still do it, and it felt good, but if she kept going through things or just didn't think about it, it didn't effect her. Another was that, while she still wasn't very muscular, even having a bit of a paunch to her belly, she was more athletic than before. Weights were easier to move, legs moved in quick and efficient strides, and jumping seemed to actually take her off the ground in ways that would have the WNBA after her if they were still a thing.

And all of this from a single prick of the finger? It felt weird...and too convenient. The second Taylor got access to a computer that didn't chug like a steam train, she looked up anything she could about Pac-man... and only found a single PHO account about how he donated what looked like a bunch of the same holographic stethoscope things he had spoken to her through that night.

That kind of person who just gave away powers doesn't just come out of nowhere, right? She wasn't the most on the pulse people with the cape scene, but as one herself now(?), didn't it make sense to here SOMETHING about them before now?

It was this thinking that had lead to Taylor keeping that weird scope and 'Driver' on or near her person since that night, even if only as a way to find out anything else about the tinker.

Like how did they actually know her? Did she get picked from a lottery? Did you do this to anyone else? How did-

Any thoughts Taylor had were suddenly disrupted when she realized that, in her thoughts and reminiscing intermittent with metaphoric musings, she had wandered into a completely deserted hallway...which should have been impossible at this time of day, due to either classes or kids not giving a damn loitering the halls.

But nothing, no kids, no taggers, no bitches waiting for popular cliques to impress. Just...Taylor.

And a pair of footsteps echoing through the halls.

Taylor pivoted on her foot and faced the way the sound was coming from, only to freeze in place for a different reason.

She had read what Case 53's were, 'Monster' Capes with no memories and inhuman features in her search for answers about anything, but to suddenly see one in her school, casually walking along and moving its one clawed hand just shy of the wall beside it was terrifying in way she had never considered.

And then it spoke, a rich voice of age against some kind of reedy, high-pitched voice as if air escaping from a too-small hole.

"Ahh! So YOU have Mighty Action. A bit small to be my Destined Rival, but who ever said Fate made sense! Ha! How salty it makes me." The cape chuckled to himself, try and failing to hide his too wide face behind his human hand, making you shift uncomfortably even as her hands slipped to her backpack tightly, gripping said gashat almost hard enough to tear the material with her new strength.

"W-what do you mean 'Destined Rival'? And...how do you know I have Mighty Action X?" Taylor stuttered for a start before gaining a bit more confidence as she reached a hand into her pack and now firmly gripped the Driver, the item filling her with a sort of strength.

It was not apparently what the 53 expected.

"WhAAAT! You don't even recognize your arch-nemesis, THE LORD OF SALT, SALTY! How could you Mighty! I thought we had something special!" The cape, Salty, cried out as he started blubbering, hat in claw as massive tears formed on the two eye stalks on either sides of his head.

It was not what Taylor was expecting either, if her own panicking was any indicator.

"Ah wait, please don't cry, S-Salty, right? I think I DO remember you now. With all your crabbiness and...salt?" Taylor stuttered and hemmed, thinking of anything to get the giant cape to stop blubbering like a child based off his previous words.

It did the trick.

"AUDIBLE GASP! You DO remember me! Oh goodie!" Salty praised as he clapped his claw and hand together in joy, before suddenly stopping in place, tears and joy gone in an instant.

"Then you remember why I want to get you out of my way."

With a seconds break, he was in front of Taylor, claw arm ready to slam down. It was only due to Taylor's new instincts that she was able to jump back before it connected, leaving her ample time to zero in on the new hole in the concrete floor.

As she hit against the floor, her backpack was launched loose from its position, making the Driver she had been gripping skid across the floor till it was right beside her downed form.

"Oh Mighty, how far you've fallen. Like trying to fight the final boss with beginner equips. But you're no speed runner, you've barely even opened the plastic off the cover. How sad." Salty groaned even as Taylor hastily grabbed the Driven and her Gashat in the other hand, pointing the second threateningly at Salty.

"D-don't come any closer! I-I'll use this!" Taylor shouted desperately, trying to get anyone to notice what was happening here. Someone would have to notice, right?

Salty chuckled.

"My dear, I highly doubt you will. If this is the best I can expect from you, I have no idea why my Master thought so highly of you. Better to just scrap you and try someone else, no? Maybe then I'd get a WORTHY rival." Salty chuckled dismissively before taking another step forward, and Taylor taking another back, panic clear in her eyes.

 _' Oh god, he's right. I don't know what I'm doing, what to do with these, they give powers, what does the driver do? Do I put it on a car and let it move me? Am I going to die here? In Winslow? To a monster...what do I do? What CAN I do? Maybe I don't deserve these powers, maybe they would be better...'_

 **Are you so swayed by mere fear?**

The voice didn't come from anywhere, but the thought rang through her head like a burst of cold water

 **Where is the Girl who would be better? Where is the One who said they would make Life Better? Life is not changed without action.  
**  
Un-noticed and eyes in a daze, Taylor stopped retreating, and stood to her full height, making Salty stop for a moment in confusion.

 **You are starting, but that is no excuse. Stare forward at the challenger in your path.  
**  
Taylor's eyes snapped forward to Salty, teeth gritting in determination and Gashat now held as if a knife. Her eyes screamed danger even as Salty took an unconscious step back.

 **Do you See? So long as you face these challenges with all of your being, they too shall know the fear of judgement.**

 **Salty seeks to hide and play in the Surf. Drag him to dry Land and show him what for!  
**  
"I know how to use this..." Taylor muttered, head down but eyes still locked to Salty, even as her Driver-gripping hand dropped the device to her waist, not blinking as a belt shot out before connecting on the other side, securing it.

 **Gone are the days you will hide and wait for your time. We will run through the fields and cities, and defeat the Evils before us!  
**  
"I! AM GOING! TO KICK! YOUR ASS!" Taylor shouted as she brought the Gashat parallel to her face, and jammed the button down.

 **"MIGHTY ACTION X!"  
**  
With a swift almost slashing motion, the Gashat found it's home in the top slot of the driver, as a burst of pixels and blocks shot out in all directions, filling the previously grey hallway with vivid browns and greens, some of them knocking into Salty as he was shot back from the sudden projectiles, stopping only to roll and spit out three large gold coins.

Taylor paid him and the surroundings no mind though, instead focused completely on the wall of screens that appeared before her, all options grayed out except for a bright pink one.

With a near manic grin, she plunged her fist forward, a cry of "HENSHIN!" forcing its way out even as the tile flipped away, before bouncing right back over her head.

 **A Hero who shall go the Distance is needed. Victory is never so simple as one or two actions. No matter how far the difficulty, we will do what is right. This. Is MIGHTY ACTION X.**

 **"Let's GAME! Metcha Game! Mutcha Game! WHAT'S YOUR NAME!?  
**  
"I'm...a K **a** m **en** Ri **de** r." Both Taylor and the Driver breathed out as one.

"Salty...If this is all a game to you...THEN I'M GOING TO CLEAR IT ON THE FIRST RUN!" Kamen Rider Ex-Aid screamed as they jumped towards the still recovering villain.

END OF CHAPTER

SEE YOU NEXT GAME

 ** _God, I'm a tease with this story._**


	12. Chapter 12: First Phase! Level Zero!

**_Time, had resumed.  
_**  
 _ **I still own nothing nor have I ever, but I do have some ways to keep living if you're so inclined! A**_ ** _P A treon_** _ **, at /evilwithin for monthly stuff, and a**_ ** _Money Pool_** _ **, for donations and possible commissions. Always handy!**_

 _ **Now, we return to your Fight Scene already in progress.  
**_  
 **Chapter 10: First Boss!**

 **OR**

 **I Understand why People Love Violence Now!  
**  
For one Taylor Hebert, the world felt **ALIVE** at the moment. Every movement smooth and crisp, every color and sound a synthesia of creation and wonder. And the violence.

 _Oh God, the VIOLENCE_.

Punches flew in blurs between Taylor and Salty, impacting and leaving cracks in shell or armor, and through it all Taylor had never grinned wider.

Was she crazy? Enjoying a fight, against someone out for her life, so much? Was this what being blood-drunk was like? She'd read about it before, but this was _wonderful_!

"More! More! C'mon Salty, you were talking all that good shit before! FIGHT ME!" Taylor, no. Ex-Aid roared as she jumped from a side wall into what would be a devastating hey-maker, ignoring the locker crushed from her launch point.

Salty didn't seem to know what to make of this change in personality, barely able to let out little shreiks as his crazy rival bounced off the wals trying to rend shell and flesh, dodging such by the flap of his cape with no small amount of luck.

"Holy shit! What the hell happened to you! It was a joke! A JOKE! STOP TRYING TO SHELL ME!" Salty cried as he hastily ducked from a kick that rended a long line from the wall behind him.

Ex-aid's cry of "NEVER!" did not help alleviate his concerns, nor did her sudden stopping place. Salty remembered what happened last time!

Thus he did the smart thing and dove for the nearly window, even as Ex-Aid stood still in the hallway, focused on something internal.

 _Ring Ring Ring, Phone Call~ Phone Call! Ring Ring Ring~  
_  
Namely, an increasingly annoying jingle and an image of a phone right in the middle of her face, making Taylor remember that she was in fact in a suit. In fact, she realized she was wearing gloves, armor, and...the halls seemed taller? Did she fall down when Salty was standing over her? Did the Driver put her in a protective suit and knock him back somehow?

The thoughts continued as Taylor again noticed she had a call, and no way to answer. So she decided to try some things.

"Uhh, answer?" Taylor spoke, hesitance apparent but not really sure what to do, as she got back up to her feet and marveling at the feeling of power she felt in her arms and legs.

Thankfully, that seemed to do what it needed to, as the image of a phone was swiftly replaced with a little flash cartoon of a cake and banners, with confetti falling down below the words "HAPPY LEVEL ZERO!"

Oh wait, those words were also screamed out, Taylor realized after a moment as she noticed the cake on the bottom of the frame actually move upward, revealing it to be a hat worn on top of a very familiar Pac-Man head.

"Congratulations, you've taken the first step to greatness my dear!" -man stated as he threw his arms into the air, releasing more confetti and nearly throwing the cake off his head, before he hastily grabbed a handful and shoved it against his mask, smearing it wildly.

Taylor...didn't even know what she was watching anymore, and decided to speak up before it could spiral even further.

"Why are you on my screen? Why do I have a screen? And what do you mean, 'first step'?" She quickly listed out seeing the figure raise a cake coated finger before lowering it as your word tumble continued.

After a moment, he shrugged, rubbed his cake on his lab-oat and smearing THAT as well, began to pontificate.

"If you want to be technical, it's OUR screen, what with me designing it and you using it. You get a screen because you are now a Kamen Rider, and their face-plates are usually one way screens or specialty works to better show just all you need to. You even get a targeting retical! And first step... well, to cut a long story short, you are in Level Zero, and have only BEGUN to taste the power you can wield. ISN'T IT SWEET!" -man calmly pointed off before bursting into action, arms whirling and hand black with cake leaving trails against his figure.  
Before she could say anything else though, He interrupted her again, going so far as to all but shout in her ear as he drowned her out.

"And here's a little treat for being the first to Use your Gamer Driver. A handy little beginners manual has been added to your index, along with a new weapon I made for you! Just think of a wheel going around you and It'll show up! Enjoy your UnBirthday, and go knock some sense into Salty!" He snickered and clapped as a small bar in the corner of your vision quickly materialized and filled, before both disappeared completely from view, leaving Taylor with even more questions than answers and wondering if the whole thing had been a hallucination as was quickly becoming the habit.

"Crazy jackass...but, he's right, I can't let Salty run around and possibly hurt more people, and a weapon would make things easier." Taylor muttered as she actually moved for the first time, marveling at how light she felt, and like she could run forever if needed. It was heady, and definitely something she could get used to.

 _'He said imagine a wheel...'_ Taylor thought as she closed her eyes, picturing a tire moving across the pavement in her mind, before snapping them back open at the sound of electricity. Around her was a ring of pink lightening, condensing at a point directly in front of her. As she stared wide eyed at the form, she barely took note of her hand snapping upward and grabbing the bottom of the clump, scattering away the energy with a cry of

 **GASHACON BREAKER!**

And ooh, did it deserve that name. Comfortable in the palm of her hand, was a bright black and white hammer that felt like it weighed a good thirty pounds and had some kind of green fire burning in the top. It looked like something you'd find in, well, a videogame.

And then the manual came up before her eyes, and Taylor felt a grin just a tad sharper than normal grow on her face as she turned towards the only shattered window within view. Looks like she just got the perfect Crab-Cracker.

END OF CHAPTER

 **See You Next Game**

 ** _Ooh, We're gonna be having some FUN these next few chapters. Also might start some rumors about a murderous dwarf, if I want to write things certain way. We'll see what I feel like at the time. Till then!_**


	13. Chapter 13: This is a Kamen Rider

_WELL! This is back..._

 _Sorry about the whole lack of anything for a while, this story was getting kind of mixed reviews from people so I put it to the backburner in favor of other things, but recently it's been making a resurgence! And I'm never someone to disappoint fans._

 _ _I swear I own nothing, not the place, time, any pictures I use outside of any I potentially commission, or the setting of this writing. What I DO own are means by which generous people can help and support a young man if they should choose. Available_ _here_ _and_ _here_ _, or my profile for those curious. The first is to my P A treon, and the second is to a fund, for commissions or if you think I could use a little something extra._ _

_Now let's Fight-o Fight-o._

Chapter 11: This is a Kamen Rider

OR

Together We Can Show the World What We Can Do

People noticed when a Crab-man in a tophat and cape jumped out of a school window.

They especially noticed and got their phones ready when what looked like a pure white-dwarf in power-armor holding a flaming hammer jumped after it.

But that wasn't a concern for Taylor, for Kamen Rider Ex-Aid at this point. The only thing that mattered was Salty in front of her gazes locked and ready to rumble.

"Hmph! Such violence and passion in that gaze! It seems you DO have some worth as my destined foe. Good. Anything less and I'd have been SO salty." Salty chuckled to himself even as Ex-Aid brandished her hammer.

"Why are you here? For me? For the people at this school? ANSWER ME!" Ex-Aid shouted as you leapt, hammer swinging rapidly.

Salty ducked and juked through the swings, chortling as adjusting his monocle.

"Oh-hohoho! You demand such answers with tepid blows like this? Come now! Where's the fun in that!" He shouted back as a claw struck out, gripping Ex-Aids arm and throwing her bodily away!

"Aaagh!" Ex-Aid grunted as she quickly reoriented and slid back on her feet, but not before looking down and noticing a bar dissipate from her chestplate.

"Slow, slow, slow! You'll never get anywhere with such small stats and no surprise on your side! Go back and grind some more while the big boy's set up, alright?" Salty mocked of a moment, before throwing his cape open and turning around fully, walking away while Ex-Aid was shocked.

Before she could try and follow however, pillars of orange light filled the yard, before solidifying into figures wearing black jumpsuits, strange orange masks, and...chef's hats and tools?

She'd be wondering what the fuck was happening if her instincts weren't screaming danger to her.

"Play with these bit cooks for now. I have a job to get too!" Salty's voice echoed into the area before he finally left view, making the gathered 'cooks' begin to move sporadically or in sharp twitches as they all faced Ex-Aid.

Ex-Aid gulped for a moment, but also felt the grip on her hammer grow, and a smile grow on her face.

Lesser Ones Before You. Action Awaits Salty. You Do Not Have Time to Waste. Awaken Greater Heights and Blow Through The Opposition!

And grinned as a hand rested on the door to her Future.

With a single pull of the handle...

LEVEL! UUUUUPPP!

 _Nothing would stop her ever again._

Mighty Jump! Mighty Kick! Mighty Mighty Action, X!

The armor guarding her fell away, dispersing into the air as pixels revealing a bright pink and green being beneath, arms and legs reaching out to grasp the world.

Her head reoriented itself, standing tall and proud as eyes saw through a visor clear as crystal and sharper than any eyeglass.

A mask with a wild grin towards the foes ahead, 'hair' blowing back as you walked forward without end. This was right. You could feel everything, see everything, _do anything._

And the words for this form spilled from your mouth, a calm whisper that flew through your spine in chills and freight in the cooks.

"Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. Level Up."

And then she _moved_.

A hammer smashed into a cook with a over-sized potato peeler hard enough to send him flying back into a small crowd of others unfortunate enough to have not dodged. Two follow up strikes reduced the pile into a cloud of data, but Ex-Aid was moving on.

Punches were grabbed and redirected, kicks gracefully launched in arcs and spikes, never failing to hit. At one point, she even through a cook up before jumping of the back of another trying to tackle her from behind, gliding through the air to send the air-born soul like a bomb back to the ground with a devastating axe kick. It was like she was starring in an action movie. Every move was so clear, each intent read, categorized, and ready to react to.

There were no cooks left as Ex-Aid stood in the clearing, hazes of pixels and data dotting the area before dissipating as she panted, before finally freezing and looking upward.

To see what felt like hundreds of kids all with their phones pointed out recording her every move.

Ex-Aid beat feet out of there, two solid leaps letting her escape down the same opening Salty himself to, deciding to solve the problem she could physically beat first instead of focusing on cover-ups later.

-WITH SALTY-

"Aaaand there! A perfect fit! Now, let's see if Mighty's still kicking." Salty sighed contently as he left the library, looking left and right before heading through the doors...

Only to be thrown back through the doors by a flying kick courtesy of said Ex-Aid, having blindsided him front on after he turned to check his sides.

"You aren't getting away like that!" Ex-Aid sternly said as she came to a stop, legs twitching and ready to move even as Salty gripped his way back to his feet with the help of a bookshelf.

"That...that was a dirty trick to pull on a Crab. That makes me SALTY." Salty literally growled as his pincer snapped menacingly.

But Taylor wasn't afraid anymore.

"And I don't care. Why are you at my school? Why did you attack me? What were you DOING in there." Ex-Aid pointed right back, having cornered him.

And the Crab...giggled. Like the anger had just dissipated, like it never happened.

"Oh-hohoho! Silly girl! I might be a video game villain, but monologues are SO cliche! if you want the Story, read the item descriptions! I've already spent too much time here for now. I'm sure when we meet again so much more will be clearer! And do give the Doctor my regards! Ta-ta!" Salty sniggered before slamming his claw down, sending up a cloud of dust from nowhere.

Ex-Aid was shocked and began coughing, the sight and taste of it somehow making it through her helmet. By the time she puller herself together to see, the library was empty again.

She shook for a moment, wanting to keep chasing after him, to do so regardless of what was in her way, but she had to stop for now.

The priority was finding out why such a...'person' was at her school at all...and just what she was.

The Gashat was pulled and the door was closed, reverting Ex-Aid back to Taylor, pixels breaking into the air even as she took one last look at the library and resolved to look through it more when the goal was clear.

Taylor needed answers right now...and completely missed the set of shocked eyes watching every step she took out of the library into the panicking throngs of students.

END OF CHAPTER

 _See you Next Game._


End file.
